Hypodermic syringe and aspirating ampoule thereof



Nov. 2, 1954 I oc H g-r 2,693,185

HYPODERMIC SYRINGE AND ASPIRATING AMPOULE THEREOF Filed Dec. 1, 1951INVENTOR MAM Au A. [acme Al??? BY m United tates Patent HYPCDERMICSYRINGE AND ASPIRATING AMPOULE THEREOF Marshall L. Lockhart, Rutherford,N. J., assignor to The Compule Corporation, Rutherford, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey The present invention relates to hypodermicsyringes for subcutaneous injection of barrel or ampule contents, andampule structure thereof, designed in a way to permit simple aspirationin a unique manner for a show of blood of the type proposed in mycopending application Serial No. 250,703, filed October 10, 1951.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedhypodermic syringe structure of the type disclosed in the Cook PatentNo. 1,661,818 of March 6, 1928, and cartridges or ampules therefor,which are unusually simple in construction, readily and economicallyproduced on a commercial scale, easily assembled and efiiciently used;and which feature aspirating piston plug means not requiring connectionthereof to plunger means.

A more specific object is to provide in such syringes and ampulesthereof aspirating piston plugs which, upon partial collapse by pressurephysically applied by the plungers and release of that pressure,automatically will apply aspiration to the ampule chambers for aneffective show of blood therein, thus eliminating necessity for physicalconnection between the plungers and piston lugs.

p Another object of the invention is to provide in such syringes andampules a piston plug having an aspirating bulb against which theplunger bears effectively to attain aspiration when a small amount ofpressure applied to the plunger is released while permitting it to serveefliciently for piston expulsion of ampule contents when driven into theampule by greater pressure applied to the plunger.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide structuralembodiments which are uniquely effective in attaining the desired endsas will be more fully apparent from the following description of certainforms thereof illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

. Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and will inpart appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set f rth. and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accom panying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an axial section, with parts broken away, of a loadedembodiment of the hypodermic syringe of the present invention;

Fig. 2'is an axial section to an enlarged scale, with parts broken away,of the cartridge or ampule of Fig. 1 which serves as the barrel of thatsyringe, showing portions of the associated inner end of the hollowneedle and the operating end of the plungerwith aspirating actionillustrated;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating use in that ampuleof a certain type of blood telltale plug (partly shown in elevation)substituted for the plug closircllg the leading end of the ampuleillustrated in Fig. 1' an 7 Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the pistonplug end of the ampule showing a modified form of aspirating piston plugsuitable for use in the structures shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals identify similar ,partsthroughout, there is illustrated, by way of example,

I 2,693,185 Patented Nov. 2,1954

at 10 an embodiment of the hypodermic syringe of the present inventionfeaturing aspirating means of the invention, and it is an adaptation ofthe type of hypodermic syringe structure illustrated in theabove-identified Cook patent to teachings of the present invention. Inthat hypodermic syringe 10 tubular barrel 11, which may be formed as acylinder of light-transmitting or transparent material, such as glass orrigid plastic, is closed off at its'back or trailing end by a pistonplug 12 and at its leading end by another plug 13, carrying therein abody 14 of injectable medicinal liquid, to form a loaded replaceablecartridge or ampule 15. That loaded ampulse 15 is mounted in a suitabletubular syringe casing 16, having at least a windowed portion in thevicinity of the head end thereof through which the leading end of ampule15 may be observed when loaded therein. The'windowing of casing 16 maybe provided by forming at least the head end of its side walls orsubstantially all of the latter from transparent material but preferablyis formed as a metallic tubular structure windowed by being cut away onopposite sides at 17, 17 to provide opposed elongated sight slots, allsuch types of easing structures being known in the prior art.

The leading end of loaded ampule 15 is received in an axial socket 18 inthe back end of head 19 with the bottom 20 of the socket providing anabutment against which outer end 21 of closing plug 13 may be rested. Asis usual in such a type of syringe, head 19 also has another seat orsocket 22 therein which receives enlargement 23 mounted on adouble-ended needle 24 intermediate its ends 25 and 26 respectivelyconstituting the inner plug-piercing end and the injecting end.

The back end 27 of the tubular casing 16 carries fingerengaging wings28, 28, andis internally-threaded at 29 threadably to receive anexternally-threaded closure plug 30. Casing closure plug 30 has an axialbore 31 reciprocatively receiving piston plunger stem 32. Plunger stem32 preferablythreadably carries on its outer end a thumb-engaging thrustknob 33 and preferably has its inner end 34 enlarged to provide a head,as shown, to seat against a projecting outer end 35 of piston plug 12.In accordance with features of the present invention necessity ofconnecting plunger end 34 to piston plug 12 to permit an aspiratingaction is eliminated.

As best seen from Fig. 2, in the embodiment of the ampule 15 shown inFig. l, the closure plug 13 which is seated in the leading end of ampuletube 11 preferably is formed of elastic plastic material having acylindrical section 36 snugly received within the end of the tube and alaterally-extending circumferential flange 37 formed on its outer end 21to limit insertion into the ampule tube and to seat against the headsocket bottom 20. Closure plug section 36 has in its back or inner end38 the usual axial recess or pocket 39 to define a relatively thin outercross sealing portion 40 through which the needle inner end 25 may bereadily pierced to bring the needle bore into communication with theinterior or chamber of the ampule and the body 14 of medicinal liquidtherein. the needle inner end 25 be of sufiicient length as to projectinto the ampule chamber beyond the inner end 38 of the closure plug 13so as to be readily observable through the transparent wall of theampule tube 11 for a show of blood thereat.

Fig. 2 indicates that the aspirating piston plug 12 may comprise arelatively thick-walled base section 41 and a crowned bulbous headproviding the outer portion 35, with pocket or chamber 42 provided inthe latter forming part of the ampule chamber, or in communication withthe ampule. chamber and the body 14 of medicinal liquid therein throughan axial bore 43 in the base section. Such piston plug bulb structure isdesigned to serve a dual purpose, viz., initially, of an aspirating bulbto draw blood to the inner end 25 of the hypodermic needle forobservation thereat, and, thereafter, of a piston plug when slid forwardinto the ampule tube 11 by means of the piston plunger head 34.

In operation of the embodiment shown by way of example in Figs. 1 and 2,the operator loads a loaded ampule 15 into the hypodermic syringe casing16 to provide the structure shown in Fig. 1. He inserts the outer in- Insuch embodiment, it is preferred thatjecting end 26 of the hollow needleor cannula 24 subcutaneously into the patient and then determineswhether or not the cannula bore is in communication with a blood vein.lhis he ascertains by applying slight pressure to the plunger thrustknob 33 so as partially to collapse the piston bulb 35 to. the dottedline position indicated at 44 in Fig. 2 by a short plunger stroke. This,of course, reduces the volume ofthe ampule chamber, and when thepressure applied to the thrust knob and plunger is released, theelasticity of the piston bulb 12 causes its bulbous end 35 to expand toits initial position, as indicated in full lines in both Figs. 1 and 2.This applies aspirating suction to the ampule chamberso that should thecannula or needle bore be in communication with a blood vein, blood willbe drawn up through the needle to be observable at its inner end 25.If'tfhe medicinal liquid is intended for intravenous injection, the showof blood at the inner needle end 25 will assure that the needleinjecting end 26 has been properly inserted. If, however, the medicinalliquid is intended for. intramuscular injection, a show of blood at theneedle inner end 25 will dictate relocation of the needle outer end 26.

After subcutaneous location of the in ecting needle end 26 to thesatisfaction of the operator as assured by the aspirating action andblood showing described, the operator then expels or injects the ampulecontents, or body 14 of medicinal liquid contained therein, bydepressing the thrust knob to cause piston head 34 to drive piston plug12 forward into the ampule tube Ill by a long plunger stroke. It willthus be seen that it is not necessary to form either a permanent ortemporary connection between the hypodermic piston plunger 32 and theampule piston plug 12 so as to obtain the desired aspirating action.

in the event that the liquid medicament housed in the ampule 15 is of ahigh degree of opacity making difficult observation of a show of bloodat the needle inner end 25, blood telltale closing plug means may besubstituted for the closing plug 13, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Suchblood telltale closing plug means may comprise an elastic plug 113having a cylindrical shank section 136 snugly received in the leadingend of ampule tube ill with its outer end 21 provided with insertionlimiting flange 37. In a side of the cylindrical section 136 of closingplug 113 is preferably formed a transversely-extending notch 45 which defines the outer cross sealing section 40 and through which the innerneedle end 125 is pierceable. Communication between the pocket formed bytransverse notch 45 and the ampule chamber is provided by means of alongitudinally-extending notch 46 in the side of closing plug section136 to provide with that pocket a channel extending to the inner plugend 38, as shown in Fig. 3. Such channel comprising pocket 45 and groove46 is located immediately adjacent the inner face of a portion of thetransparent wall of ampule tube 11 which, incidentally, closes it off onthe outer side thereof as shown. Accordingly, when such an ampule 115 ofFig. 3 is loaded in syringe casing structure 10 of the type indicated inFig. l and aspiration is attained by slight depression and release ofpiston 32, a showing of blood will appear in pocket 45 and groove 4-6,or portions of the channel formed thereby, to be apparent even thoughthe medicinal liquid 14 is of a high degree of opacity. Variations ofthe blood telltale closing plug structure 113 will be apparent to oneskilled in the art, particularly by reference to the disclosure of myabove-identified copending application Serial No. 250,703 of October 10,1951.

A modified form of aspirating piston bulb is shown at 112 in Fig. 4which is of the type illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of my copendingapplication Serial No. 160,987, filed May 9, 1950, now Patent No.2,577,780 of December 11, 1951. As therein shown, piston bulb 112includes a relatively thin-walled cylindrical base section 141 having atapered, crowned outer bulb end stiffened in its mid-section by aconcentric, axially-extending circular rib 47 which is to be engaged bypiston head 34 for partial bulb collapse. Pressure on plunger 32 willdepress bulb crown 135 to the dotted line position shown at 48 for firstdecreasing the volumetric capacity of the ampule and then, upon releaseof the plunger, to permit the bulb crown to spring back out'to thefull-line position there indicated for aspirating action. Piston travelof plug 112 by a long plunger stroke is similar to that of 12.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific feat turesof the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be, said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A hypodermic syringe ample for use in a, hollow hypodermic syringecasing fitted with a head through which a double-ended hollow injectingneedle coaxially extends and a back end having a plunger stemreciprocatively mounted coaxially therethrough with the inner end of thelatter forming a force-applying piston head, said casing having at leasta windowed portion through which a leading end of an ampule may beobserved when loaded therein, said needle having an inner end of certainlength; the ampule comprising, in combination, a transparent tubularwall receivable in said hollow casing to serve as the barrel thereof andprovide a,

liquid storage chamber, a needle-pierceable plug closing the leading endof said tubular wall and receivable of the inner end of said needle tocommunicate the bore of the latter with liquid contents of the chamberin said ampule when said ampule is loaded into said casing, and

an elastic aspirating piston bulb closing the other end ofsaid tubularwall and locatable ahead of said piston head so that the latter may pushthereagainst for partial collapse to permit release aspiration orforward liquidexpelling drive, said plug having a channel juxtaposed tov the inner'face of a transparent portion of the ampule Wallcommunicating with the ampule chamber, said inner end of said needlebeing adapted when piercing said plug to extend to a point communicatingits bore with said channel whereby saidchanneled plug and thecoveringtransparent ampule wall portion serve as a blood telltale meansobservable through said casing windowed portion.

2. The hypodermic springe ampule as defined in claini 1", characterizedby the provision in said blood telltale closing plug of the channel inthe form of a groove in the side of said plug extending from the innerend of the latter to a point in communication with the plug interiortc;3 1which the needle inner end of certain length is piercea e.

References- Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date ,6 1 Cook -.-v--.-.--. -.-,--i--.-.--,- r 2 2,460,039 Schereretal. Jan. 25, 1949 2,526,365 Jorgensen Oct. 17, 1950 2,554,744Jorgensen, May 29, 1951 2,577,780 Lockhart Dec. 11, 1951

